Event 3: Vivan Sundaram, Making Strange: Gagawaka + Postmortem

First thing: I'm in love with this place.  Second thing: This may be UCLA's best kept secret spot ever. Or have I just been missing out?

Clearly not a model the way this piece was...
Can you guess what it's made out of?*

A bit of background for this exhibit: Sundaram combined two of his projects to bring Making Strange, which touches upon fashion with recycled or medical materials, like hospital gowns, x-ray film, and used tampons (I'll spare all of you the photos, but ladies, this is some empowering stuff especially when menstruation and tampon taxes are so taboo).  With different mannequins and wooden models, he portrays the stigmas of aging and the medical efforts that may or may not preserve life.

My favorite piece, "Liberty" made of fiberglass and rubber

I think exhibits like this help with both our appreciation of the world but for own creative works (like our final project).  Sundaram uses every day supplies in a way that portrays less of MedTech, but rather, utilizing MedTech in order to create the pieces.  The use of installation art and how it flows about the room was fascinating to experience.  It guides viewers through these empowering models and wraps up with some darker pieces of bodies in tombs and small artifacts.

Made of various medical supplies, like bandages and braces

Overall, this exhibit really struck me from the social issues Sundaram calls attention to.  Some of the wooden props evoked a lot of fear and anxiety - suggesting a darkness and end to life.  This made me realize how our class really did hone in on the intersections of science and art in a more technical manner and left the imagination and feeling aspect to our own devices.  While science itself is typically not emotional, art transforms the information in a way so that we can all empathize or connect to it in some way.  This exhibit is a great example of this.

I'll definitely be back soon...

I highly, highly suggest visiting (or not, so it'll forever be my secret place).  You get an experience as if you were at the Getty or LACMA right here at UCLA, and it is so empowering for women, especially.  But beyond that, the intersection of medicine, aging, art, and so much more are humbling and truly creative.

*red bra cups